Sweethearts
by GiaLee
Summary: The annual Glory High Sweethearts Dance approaches—causing Sam and Zane to make a choice.
1. Default Chapter

Sweethearts

By:Tryx Email: lectryx@yahoo.com 

_Rating: PG_

_Pairing: Sam/Zane_

_Summary: The annual Glory High Sweethearts Dance approaches—causing Sam and Zane to make a choice._

_Author's Note: Thanks so much to my beta Ras, you've been a huge help—to everyone else: enjoy!_

_Disclaimer:  I don't own Glory Days (or anyone in it), the nice people at the WB do._

1

*****

Zane rolled over onto his back, not taking his eyes off of the TV, and began to reach blindly for the open pizza box that lay on the ground by his side.  It was really late, and he was tired, but he couldn't fall asleep.

A soft noise came from beyond the closed door in front of him, and his blue-green eyes shifted from the TV screen and then back again.  He turned his head towards the ground beside him, as he had been unsuccessful at reaching the remains of the pizza without guidance from his eyes.  He reached out again and snagged one of the few remaining pieces, bringing it towards his mouth.  Vegetarian with extra cheese and sauce-Sam's favourite.  

Zane glanced up again as the object of his affection pushed open the door and walked into the room.  Sam was dressed only in a towel-which was pulled snugly around her slender-and in his mind, perfect-form, and her long blonde hair hung dark and wet around her shoulders.  She had emerged from the bathroom, and the leftover steam from the shower had basked her in a misty glow.  She looked like and angel.  

Zane began to have difficulties breathing…again…

_Why do I do this to myself? He thought, trying desperately to tear his gaze away from his best friend's body and back towards the television, so that he could withhold some semblance of sanity.  In all honesty, he shouldn't even be there-he was grounded.  His mother had grounded him again after he'd gotten in trouble at school, and the principal had called home about it.  _

"So why'd you do it?" Sam asked as she pulled open the drawers of her dresser, and began rooting around in them for something to wear to bed.

"Do what?" he asked innocently, his face flushing redder as he watched her move.  This was torture, pure and simple.  No male could be expected to live through something like this and still be sane afterwards.  And yet, Sam took no notice of her near-nudity, and pulled out a white tank-top and a pair of dark blue flannel pants out of the drawers, before closing them.  

She turned to face him, her big brown eyes narrowing on him.  Zane gulped.

"You flashed the cafeteria…again!" she said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.  And it probably was…to all those who weren't currently…um...distracted…

_Oh, yeah, he thought__, that._

"Well, if you've got it, flaunt it," he said, smirking at her.  Sam rolled her eyes and threw a rolled-up pair of socks at his head.  They hit him square in the forehead before he got a chance to duck and bounced onto the floor.  Sam laughed and went back into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

She reentered the room a moment later, wearing the tight tank top and the dark pants, rubbing her long, dripping wet hair with a towel.  

"Hey, Sam, aren't those pants mine?" he asked, suddenly realizing why they looked so familiar-and why they were so long on her.

Sam stopped drying her hair and her eyes widened and she looked at him before staring down at the floor. 

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Zane," she muttered, guiltily.  Zane grinned.

"Yeah, sure you don't."  He was enjoying watching her squirm.

"Don't worry about it, Sam," he said, shaking his head a moment later.  "You can keep them."

Sam's gaze lifted off the floor and met his, and she smiled sweetly-almost shyly. 

"Thanks."

Zane turned his attention back to the television as Sam started picking up the empty soda cans that were strewn around her bedroom-remnants of their earlier junk food binge.  It was a common occurrence-Zane staying over at her house at night-it had been ever since they were little, when their moms had still been friends.  One of them would camp out in the other's house just about every two or three weeks-staying for a couple days at a time-or, more recently, whenever Zane got into trouble with his mom.

Zane lifted his arm to look at his watch-wondering what time it was, and how much trouble he would get in for taking off without telling his mom-only to find that his wrist was bare.  He pulled his lean body into a sitting position, turning his head one way and the other, searching for it.  His gaze caught on the edge of the loveseat cushions-where he was currently sitting-where they met the back.

_It probably fell in there, he thought, shoving the old blue blanket off and pulling himself off the loveseat.  Standing beside the old black contraption, he started pulling everything off the surface-the blankets, the chip bags, and the pillows-and pried the cushions away to get a closer look._

_What the hell…_

"Sam," he said, not turning around to face her-instead, continuing to stare at the cushion-less seat before him.

"How long has this thing been a pull-out?"

Sam just looked at him.  "What?"

"How long," he said, spacing out his words so that she'd understand, "has this thing had a bed inside it…one that folds up and pulls out when Zane needs to sleep?"

Sam shrugged.  "Uh, forever, I guess."

"And you didn't inform me of this, _why?  I've been scrunching my body into a tiny loveseat for the past how many years, and I wasn't told, __why?"_

Sam smiled, running her hands through her now-only damp-sandy coloured hair. 

"Zane, you _were informed.  You were told when I got the damn thing, about two years ago…right after your growth spurt."_

Zane gave her a blank look.

"You know, when your legs got too long to fit in the old loveseat?"

He sent her yet another blank look.  _This is news to me._

"Drawing a blank here, babe."

Sam rolled her eyes, clearly starting to get exasperated with her friend.

"Oh, come on, Zane.  You were here when they unloaded it-you helped me and Sara haul the damn thing up the stairs."

"Yeah, still nothing."

"God, Zane-it was the time a made the mistake of leaving my underwear drawer open, and you spent the entire afternoon snooping around in it.  You thought it was a huge accomplishment or something."

Zane grinned, memories flooding back to him.

"Yeah, I remember the underwear thing…nice…

"But, for the record, I was never told about the bed inside the loveseat."

Sam threw up her hands in exasperation, before yanking an overstuffed pillow off of her bed, and hurling it at his head, laughing.

*****

Zane slammed his locker shut, and hauled his now-full backpack up onto his shoulder-just in time to see Sam talking to a guy not fifteen feet away.  He was close enough that he could hear what was being said between them, but only managed to catch the last of their conversation.

"Sorry," Sam murmured, "but I really have my heart set on going with someone else.

The guy nodded, dejectedly, and Zane glared at him.

_The Sweethearts Dance… he thought.  __ That guy was asking Sam to the Sweethearts Dance…_

The dance was Glory High's annual tradition.  It was a stupid mating ritual, held on the night before Valentines Day, to which only couples-or desperate people with some semblance of a date-could attend.  In Zane's opinion, it was the dumbest thing Glory had ever come up with.

_Of course, that doesn't mean that I'd ever not__ go if Sam asked me, he thought, and then mentally kicked himself.  Sam didn't want him-she'd made that almost painfully obvious._

Especially since her heart was_ 'set on someone else.'_

Sam turned away from the guy and walked over to Zane, leaning her tall, thin body against the locker next to his.

"Ready to go?" she asked, as if nothing was out of the ordinary-_and why should it be, stupid, she gets asked out all the time.  _

But it _was different… usually __he was the one asking her out… and now he knew that he didn't have a chance…_

"Yeah," he said, tugging on the lock one last time, making sure it was shut properly.

"Let's go."

_TBC_.


	2. Part Two

Sweethearts

By:Tryx Email: lectryx@yahoo.com 

_Rating: PG_

_Pairing: Sam/Zane_

_Summary: The annual Glory High Sweethearts Dance approaches—causing Sam and Zane to make a choice._

_Author's Note: Thanks so much to my beta Ras, you've been a huge help—to everyone else: enjoy!_

_Disclaimer:  I don't own Glory Days (or anyone in it), the nice people at the WB do._

2

*****

"What do you two mean you're 'not going'?" Rudy demanded.  Sam and Zane just shrugged, grinning at the fact that they could get the normally calm man to have a public outburst.  

"No way, you two have to go… you're the only two teenagers on this entire island that I can stand-let alone _like-and you are not deserting me with the remainder of your species."_

Zane leaned over to Sam, tilting his mouth so that it was near her ear.  "Hear that, babe, we've actually qualified as a _species!"_

Sam's eyes darted to his, then to a fuming Rudy, then back to Zane again, trying desperately not to laugh.

"Sheriff, calm down," Zane said, trying not to attract too much attention to them.  "We just don't want to go…it's nothing but a stupid mating ritual anyway…and we've chosen that we'd rather not hole ourselves up in a stifling gymnasium late at night and watch a bunch of sweaty teenagers rub up against each other."

"That's what cable television is for-to provide that kind of entertainment," Sam added, grinning.  

Rudy groaned.  "You two don't understand… by pulling yourselves out of this, you're leaving me on my own, in the exact same scenario that you want to avoid.  _Alone, guys… completely __alone."_

"I'm sure you'll survive, Rudy," Sam said, patting the pathetic-looking sheriff on the back as she and Zane turned to leave. 

"Good luck, Rudy!" Zane yelled behind them, as they quickened their pace, walking away from him, before they changed their minds.

*****

"So, what's the real reason you're not going to the dance?" Zane asked as he planted himself on the Dolan's living room sofa, not tearing his eyes away from Sam.

She shrugged, pulling her puffy white coat off and running her hands through her long hair.

"Couldn't get a date, I guess."

Zane's eyes narrowed.

"That's bull, Sam."

She looked over at him, a little shocked.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, walking over to stand in front of him.

"You could get a date and you know it.  Hell, I heard one guy ask you out less than an hour ago, and you turned him down.  So don't lie to me about not getting a date."

Sam shrugged again, trying to cover up her answer, knowing she'd been caught.  "Maybe I couldn't get the date I really wanted, Zane.  Or maybe I just don't like dances; maybe I don't like getting all dressed up.  What does it matter?"

Zane ran his hands through his short raven spikes, and then glared at her.  "It matters, Sam.  

"Anything that you think is worth lying to me about-it matters.  It matters to me.  And don't give me that shit about not getting 'the date you wanted', okay?  You know you're damn gorgeous, so unless the guy is blind or just plain stupid, you could get him to go with you.  No matter what.  And I know that you like dances-and getting dressed up-or else I wouldn't have seen you mooning over that stupid dress in the store window when we were in Seattle last month.  Okay, Sam?  Don't lie to me."

"God, Zane, what's your problem?" she demanded, starting to get really pissed off at him.  "What does it matter why I don't want to go?  I'm not going and that's all that matters.

"I don't understand why the reason behind my actions is so important to you."

His blue-green eyes searched her own brown depths-half with anger, half with sadness.

"Everything about you is important to me, Sam.  You should know that by now."

_Oh, God, what am I doing? she thought__.  I'm only confusing both of us even more._

"Zane…" she started, but trailed off when she realized that what she wanted to say couldn't be put into words.  Zane shook his head at her silence, and grabbed the denim coat that lay beside him, pulling himself to his feet.

He pushed past her and was out the door before she could make a move to stop him.  After a moment, she recovered from her shock, and ran after him, but by the time she got to the front door, he was already halfway down the street-and she didn't have the strength in her to go after him.

_What have I done?  Sam thought sadly, sinking down to sit on the stairs._

_What have I done?_


	3. Part Three

Sweethearts

By:Tryx Email: lectryx@yahoo.com 

_Rating: PG_

_Pairing: Sam/Zane_

_Summary: The annual Glory High Sweethearts Dance approaches—causing Sam and Zane to make a choice._

_Author's Note: Thanks so much to my beta Ras, you've been a huge help—to everyone else: enjoy!_

_Disclaimer:  I don't own Glory Days (or anyone in it), the nice people at the WB do._

3

*****

The next day, Zane had skipped school and stayed home.  He suspected his mother knew that he was lying when he had told her that he wasn't feeling well, but she didn't say anything.  She was down in the restaurant now, hours later, and Zane had yet to move from his bed.

He rolled over, his eyes catching on the picture frame on his nightstand.  It was blue and green, made out of Popsicle sticks-the kind of thing you make in second grade during art, or during summer camp.  Inside the frame was a-fairly recent-photo of him and Sam.  They were in their swimsuits down by the docks of Glory.  It had been summer then, and they had just been swimming in the lake.  He had hauled Sam up onto his back and was carrying her around piggyback style.  They had been laughing as the picture was taken.

_Damn, he thought.  __I miss her already._

His eyes flitted over the alarm clock that sat beside the picture frame.  It was almost four-o-clock in the afternoon.  Sam would be out of school by now.  

_I wonder if she noticed that I wasn't there._

He heard a soft knock on the door, and he yelled for the person to come in.

His breath caught in his throat when he saw Sam standing there.  

_God, she's beautiful, he thought, his eyes quickly appraising her appearance-long hair down, only a little bit of makeup, tight white tank with a red shirt over it, short black skirt, tall black boots-__beautiful…perfect…_

"Hi," she said softly, her eyes lingering on his bare chest-he hadn't bothered to get dressed-and then on his face.

"Hi."

"Um, can I come in?" she asked, hesitantly, as if she half-expected him to throw her out onto the street.

"Yeah," he whispered, afraid that if he spoke any louder, he would shatter the moment.

She stepped into the room, careful not to tread on any of the belongings that were strewn across the floor.  She made her way over to him, and then sat herself down on the extra twin bed next to his-the one she used when _she was staying over with __him._

"Um… I noticed you weren't in school today and…" she paused to take a deep breath before continuing.

"And…I feel like a complete idiot for lying to you and I wanted to apologize."

Zane stared at her in shock, watching her pretty face colour with blush.  He hadn't expected her to come out and just say it…quite the opposite really, he'd expected her to dance around it for a while, until he himself caved and went seeking her out.

That was how it usually worked-it was a finely honed system.  She seemed to know that he couldn't live without her.  

"Um… wow… um… thanks?"  Zane was still in shock.  He couldn't believe it.

"I really don't blame you for leaving yesterday," she said, tilting her head foreword so that she could stare at the ground.  "I don't blame you because I _did lie to you, and I promised you a long time ago that I'd never do that."_

"So why did you?" he asked, trying to keep most of the leftover bitterness out of his voice, but failing.  Sam winced and Zane instantly felt guilty, and wanted to lean over and wrap his arms around her and assure her that he didn't really mean it, that he wasn't mad at her.

"I…I didn't want… I didn't want to go because you weren't going…"

Zane just stared at her.  "I don't need your pity, Sam.  I know I'm your best friend, but you shouldn't feel the need to skip something that's important to you just because I couldn't go too.

"The last thing I want in the world is your pity, Sam.  You have to know that."

Sam shook her head, still not meeting his eyes.

"You don't get it, Zane…you don't understand what I'm trying to tell you," she took another deep breath, then looked up and stared into his eyes.

"I didn't want to go without you.  I wanted _you to take me.  I didn't want to go with someone else… I didn't want to go with __anyone else."_

Zane felt his jaw go lax, and he found himself unable to blink-or to breathe.

_Oh my god, he thought.  __My world just got turned upside down._

After a moment, he was finally able to regain some of his composure, and he took a deep breath and let it out again slowly before speaking.

"Why didn't you just tell me that in the first place, Sam?"

The girl shrugged, letting her gaze return to the floor.

"I didn't know how you'd react."

His eyes narrowed on her, and he pulled himself up so that he was seated on the edge of his bed, directly in front of her.  He reached out and put his fingertips under her chin, lifting it gently, forcing her to look at him.

"I've been flirting with you-hitting on you-since the day I hit puberty, and you 'didn't know how I'd react'?"

Sam nodded, then reached up and touched the hand that was stroking her cheek gently, stilling it.

"It's not just that…I knew you liked me…but I wasn't always sure just how.  And…and I was scared."

"Scared of what?"

"Of… of you… of _this… of __us."_

"I don't understand, Sam, what is there to be afraid of?"

Her gaze bore into his, and he saw tears starting to pool in her eyes.  It took all of his restraint not to reach out and brush them away.

"I… I love you, Zane… and I'm scared of losing you…"

Zane stopped breathing.  _Oh my god… she just… she… oh my god… she said she loves me…_

"Um… hold on a second… um… wow… okay.  Wait, why the hell would you be worried about losing me?"

Sam smiled, but there were still tears in her eyes.  "I just told you that I loved you and that's the best response you can come up with, you idiot?"

Zane grinned, leaned over to her and pulled her into his arms.  Despite her stature, she was really light, and he pulled her across the gap between the two beds, and onto his lap without much difficulty.  He held her tightly against him, burying his face in her hair.  His mouth next to her ear, he whispered, "how's this for a response, Sam… I love you, too…" he kissed her ear once, closed his eyes and held her tightly.

After a moment, he pulled away slightly to look into her eyes again, this time reaching up and wiping away the few tears that had escaped her eyes and had run down her cheeks.  "You didn't answer my question, Sam.  Why would you be worried about losing me?"

Sam closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against his.  

"I love you, Zane, I really do.  I… I just don't know if I'm ready to love _only you."_

"What?" he asked, without pulling away, even though he really needed to look into her eyes again.

"If… when we get together, it will be one of two ways between us:  we'll either be the together forever kind of deal, or we'll have some big horrible break up and you'll never want to speak to me again.  And… and I'm just worried that if the second one happens, I'll lose not only the guy I love, but my best friend too."

Zane held her tighter, pressing his forehead harder against hers, trying to lose himself in her.  "I'm going with the first one, here, babe," he whispered, leaning closer to rub his cheek against hers.  "Sam, you have to understand, even if we aren't 'the together-forever kind of deal', I'm always going to be here for you.  Nothing will ever change the fact that you're my best friend and nothing will ever make me stop loving you…"

Now he felt tears stinging his own eyes, and they trailed down his cheek and mixed with hers.

"Do you understand, Sam?"

She nodded against his cheek.  "Yeah, I understand."

"Do you want to give you and me a shot?" he asked, hugging her tighter, "or do you want to wait.  Because you've got me either way."

There was a short silence as Sam considered her answer, and Zane could hear his heartbeat echo in his ears.

Then…

"Yeah," she said, burying her face in his neck.  "I wanna give it a shot."


End file.
